Fraternal Instinct
by The All Real Numbers Symbol
Summary: He looked at the fallen Nightmaren. "Should I help him? He is my brother. But that means nothing. I should just walk away."


**Fraternal Instinct **

**T.A.R.N.S.:** I thought this up during science class the other day. Let's see if I can take from my mind to the computer.

**Disclaimer:** The new game would have been so cool...but there's really not much I can say about the VActing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Uh." NiGHTS gasped he slammed into the ground.

"You shouldn't have disobeyed. Then you wouldn't be in this mess." Wizeman spat the words at NiGHTS as the Nightmaren pulled himself to his knees. Nearby, Reala watched without saying a word.

Two hours of being kicked and cuffed around had more than taken their toll on NiGHTS. _I'm surprised he lasted this long_. Reala thought to himself.

As if sensing his thoughts, NiGHTS turned to look at Reala. "Reala, brother, why?" With a shudder and sigh, NiGHTS sank back to the ground as consciousness fled his battered body.

Wizeman wore a satisfied smile. "That will teach him to disobey." With those parting words, Wizeman faded away.

Reala stood in the field outside Nightopia, arms crossed over his chest, standing in the exact same spot and position he'd been in for the last two hours. Now he looked at NiGHTS, who was still laying face down on the ground.

_Maybe I should help him. Whoa, where the heck did_ that_ thought come from? I'm the bad guy. I don't help the good guy. _Reala looked back at NiGHTS, who hadn't moved at all. _He is my brother. But that means nothing, doesn't it? He's never done_ me_ any favors. I should just walk away. _

_We used to be friends once. And I'll never get any peace unless I help him._

Shaking his head, Reala walked over to where Nights was laying and picked up the purple Nightmaren_. I just hope Wizeman _never_ finds out I did this. _

Reala jumped into the air and took off flying.

He flew over Nightopia, looking for it…Nightopia had to have one, it was a city for crying out loud. Reala felt like he'd flown through the city four times before he found it.

"Finally," He landed outside the hospital and walked through the doors, turning sideways to push them open. Standing near the door was an empty gurney. He walked over to it and set NiGHTS on it.

"He needs help," Reala said when he noticed the Nightopian walking towards him. The Nightopian nodded and called to several others hanging around the admittance desk. They wheeled Nights out of the room as Reala sat down in a chair in the waiting room.

He leaned back in the chair, and hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until something tapping on his leg woke him up. It was a Nightopian. Maybe the same one he'd seen when he came in, but he couldn't be sure. They all looked alike. "You can see him now." The creature told him, and then it fluttered away.

_See him? As in go visit NiGHTS? Ah. I've come this far. I might as well make sure he's still alive._

"Room 1174."

Reala glared at the obnoxiously helpful Nightopian before walking away.

-

The room was quiet. _Heck, the whole floor is quiet. _Reala walked through the doorway and into the room. NiGHTS was lying in the only bed in the room, unmoving. Reala cautiously walked over to the bed. Seeing NiGHTS laying there had brought back an unwanted memory, from before NiGHTS had betrayed Wizeman…

_Flashback_

_Reala descended the stairs into the training room, meeting a limping NiGHTS as he did. One step away from the bottom, he stopped and waited._

_NiGHTS, precariously tying to keep his balance on one foot, glanced at him. "Could you move, please? I need to go upstairs."_

"_I can see that." Reala stated unfeelingly as he looked at NiGHTS' bleeding ankle. "What did you do?"_

"_I pestered the new guy, Gulpo, and he didn't like it. So he tried to eat me. I couldn't get out of the way as fast as I had planned." NiGHTS admitted._

_Reala rolled his eyes then quickly grabbed NiGHTS by the arm as he started to fall. "Will you never learn?" He stepped onto the floor and pulled NiGHTS' arm across his shoulder, and then helped him walk back up the stairs._

"_What did I tell you about attacking things that are bigger than you?"_

"_But it's fun to paraloop things, and I wanted to see what Gulpo would do if I paralooped him."_

_Reala glared at his brother. "Curiosity is your biggest sin. I hope you know that."_

"_I do."_

_The two of them finally made it back to NiGHTS' room. NiGHTS quickly bandaged his foot, and then curled up in his bed._

"_You're not coming back down?" Reala asked._

"_Nope," NiGHTS replied. "I'm tired. Look at it this way. Now you can have the whole training room to yourself. Except for Gulpo." _

_Reala shook his head as he walked out of the room, but he couldn't help but smirk at what NiGHTS called after him. "Paraloop Gulpo. He doesn't like it." _

'_Sorry, sibling, I'm not going to be _that_ stupid.' He thought to himself as he walked away._

_End Flashback_

"I've done all I'm going to do for you. You're on your own now." However, before he left, he tucked the blanket in around NiGHTS.

"Reala?" The word came out as more of a groan, but Reala had no desire to be caught, so he hastily fled.

-

When NiGHTS had first woken up, about five minutes before Reala walked in, the room had been spinning. NiGHTS had leaned back and closed his eyes, waiting for the sensation to pass. _Besides, if I'm back in Nightmare, I don't want to wake up._

So when the door opened and he heard someone walk in, he didn't even bother to open his eyes.

There was a long moment of silence, and then a familiar voice spoke. "I've done all I'm going to do for you. Your own your own now."

He tried to speak but the word came out as a groan. "Reala?"

What he heard next indicated that the speaker had hastily fled the room. NiGHTS carefully sat up and opened his eyes. The room was empty, but out the window he could see Reala take off and fly away.

"Reala."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**T.A.R.N.S.:** Pure, unadulterated, grade A angst. I've never written something like this before. O.O So what do you think? Good? Bad? Does it stay? Or does it go? Drop me a review and tell me, plz.

L8R


End file.
